


Introducing The Next Ino-Shika-Cho! I guess, if we have to.

by R_4_L



Category: Naruto
Genre: Clan Politics, Ino-Shika-Cho, Shikakuweek 2020, Snarky Choza, Teenage Choza Akimichi, Teenage Inoichi Yamanaka, Teenage Shikaku Nara, many many many OCC, pissed off Shikaku, team work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25217077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_4_L/pseuds/R_4_L
Summary: Shikaku has yet to meet the Akimichi or Yamanaka who will make up the next Ino-SHika-Cho with him.  Each of the three clans are dealing with their own power struggles and he really could care less.  If he could find a way to piss off his grandfather he will.  So far he knows and Choza and the guy’s not too bad.  Too bad Inoichi has a stick up his ass.
Kudos: 7
Collections: Shikaku Week 2020





	Introducing The Next Ino-Shika-Cho! I guess, if we have to.

**Author's Note:**

> I included a family for Shikaku including a younger cousin/sister Eri (blessed prize) and cousin/brother Haru (born in the spring) Who is looked down upon by his grandfather for not being quite up to Nara standards for intelligence. Haru’s not stupid just no prodigy.   
> Shinta Nara is Shikaku’s grandfather and Shinya Nara is Shikaku’s father.   
> Chouta Akimichi is Choza’s father and they have just gone through a internal clan power struggle.  
> Inoichi has an older sister but as the clan, up until then is patriarchal, she can’t inherit leadership.

He knew who his team mates were going to be at least in general. There was never a question. He was just another in a long line of Nara men to be put on a team with a Yamanaka and an Akimichi. The question he had was which one? It was the whole reason behind the upcoming get together with the two other clans. He had at least been in the same class as Choza Akimichi. The two of them got along well enough, at least well enough to call each other friends. Shikaku wasn’t sure how far he trusted the oversized teen, but he could say that it went both ways. What was that saying better the devil you knew then the one you didn’t? Choza at least could think for himself, which was better then anything Shikaku could say about the Yamanaka he knew. Imari or something like that, she was completely brainless and only concerned about besting the Hyuga twins.

Shikaku left the compound, he was not looking forward to being cornered by his grandfather. That man had a way of pissing him off. Shinta Nara ruled the clan with an iron fist, while his father, Shinya Nara was happy to be over looked. 

Making his way out to the stretch of land just in front of the Nara woods, Shikaku laid down on his back to watch the clouds go by. Shikaku thought about the difference between himself, his father and his grandfather.

The three Nara men were completely different. 

His grandfather, Shinta Nara, was the current clan head. A retired shinobi who never made it above the rank of chunin due to an injury. He liked to control everything, or pretend he did. He wanted a say in which Nara clan member was on which team or who was dating who. He was a genius like the majority of the Nara’s but more on the cunning side then actually smart. Dealing with him often gave Shikaku a headache and left him tired.

Shikaku’s father, Shinya had given up fighting his father for anything. The man had made jonin if only to rub it in his father’s face, but he wasn’t the smartest of the Nara and he knew it. He was good with his team. Friendly and more outgoing then any other Nara. Shikaku remembered how well his parents worked together. His mother a member of the Nara clan and a distant cousin to his father. When she died Shinya gave up all hope of fighting for his right to lead the clan. The sudden death of his brother and his wife had left widower sudden raising not only Shikaku at three years old, but also his niece and nephew who were both younger. Shinya left the ranks of active shinobi to raise the children. They needed him more and he was more then willing to face his fathers scorn for that. It was what cost him the leadership of the clan. Shikaku grew up with his cousins who were honestly more like siblings to him.

As the first born grandchild, Shikaku was in line to be the next Nara clan head. His father having been disowned. He was the prodigy that the whole clan had been waiting for. He had the cunning to beat his grandfather at his own game should he wish and the intelligence to know when to do so. Testing had his IQ rated at the highest of the pre-genins ready to enter the academy. His grandfather wanted him to skip right to the genin exams. His father refused but allowed Shikaku the choice to skip one year if his chose to. Shikaku decided to stay with his grade. If he was going to be working with these people, he wanted to know them. The only concession he made to his intelligence was to ask for extra work to keep his mind at least some what challenged.

He wasn’t sure that forming the Ino-Shika-Cho trio right out of the genin gate was a good idea. Genin teams were often fraught with drama and hormones. To start a team that was dependent on the amount of trust that the Ino-Shika-Cho was when no one knew one another was asking for trouble. Regular genin teams imploded without the added pressure of generations and clan heirs on top of everything. 

On the other side of the coin was the argument that the longer they worked together the stronger their bond would be. “Familiarity builds comfort or maybe it was contempt.” He muttered to himself.

“Shikaku? You out here?” 

Shikaku recognized Choza’s voice immediately and raised his hand above the grasses to be seen. Choza was in Shikaku’s class and was slowly becoming someone that Shikaku considered a trusted friend.

“Glad you could make it Choza.” Shikaku didn’t move from his spot on the ground. Fingers inter linked and behind his head, his left leg slightly bent with his knee still on the ground. He was comfortable.

“Didn’t really have a choice.” Choza didn’t want to lay down, but he sat beside his friend and stared into the Nara forest. “So, Mom didn’t say much about what today was about. What do you know?”

“What makes you think I know anything?”

Choza slapped at his friend’s leg. “Fuck you Nara. I know you know what’s going on. You going to share or do I need to go and talk to your grandfather?” It was an idle threat and they both new it. Choza didn’t like the Nara clan head because he seemed to think that all the Akimichi were good for was to complete the trio, and that they were useless for anything else.

“Grandfather wants to have a hand in forming the next set of trios. By my calculation there are six Akimichi without possible team mates. Four Yamanakas, although that’s not taking into consideration the three that are pre-genin and one that lost his team this year. Then there’s the six Nara, seven if grandfather includes my brother Haru; which we know he won’t.” It pissed Shikaku off that Haru, who was actually his cousin but raised more as his brother was looked down upon by his grandfather because he lacked the Nara super intelligence. That wasn’t to say that Haru was stupid. He wasn’t, Haru was still top of his pre-genin class but his marks were lower then many Nara’s and what his grandfather deemed acceptable for the family of the clan head. Shikaku couldn't wait to replace him. The antiquated dinosaur.

“So what, is he hoping that we’ll all get together and the gods will sing, and lights will shine and all of a sudden each team will be enveloped in ribbons of silver and gold?” Choza didn’t agree with how this was being handled. Teams took time to be put together. They needed to be able to trust one another.

Shikaku’s laugh was well worth the talking to Choza knew he’d get if any of his clan’s elders heard his comment.

“Ya know if that happens I just might strip naked and run down Main Street.”

“Can I take pictures?” Choza really enjoyed the fact that Shikaku got his off the wall sense of humour. None his his family did. “Purely for blackmail purposes. I swear.”

“Fuck, Choza.” Shikaku just shook his head and sat up. “Well if you’re here then chances are the stuck up Yamanaka’s won’t be far behind. Let’s go and play nice before grabbing some grub and coming back out here to hide.”

Choza knew that if Shikaku was already planning on hiding away from the BBQ that he’d be right with him even if that meant ignoring food. Being with Shikaku was becoming his favorite pastime. The guy had a way of finding the most entertaining way of passing the time he had ever seen. Even watching clouds with he guy was more fun then going out to a buffet, and that was saying something for an Akimichi.

The pair made their way slowly back to the main compound. The sound of the Akimichi and Nara clans together reminded Shikaku of an unfinished chord, with the slow addition of the Yamanaka clan, the sound started to come together to feel more compete. 

Shikaku slowed, close his eyes and tilted his head to the side, listening. Choza kept a hand on his shoulder in order to keep him safe. “Over there. The chakra that will match us is over there.” His voice was low not wanting to alert his grandfather. Choza just nodded and turned his friend in the opposite direction. He knew Shikaku and the man would want to center himself first before meeting the Yamanaka who would end up walking both their minds. Spying Shikaku’s sister Eri and her brother Haru, Choza walked him in that direction.

Without a second thought Eri handed her elder brother a glass of cold tea. “Drink, it will be fine.” She giggled at Shikaku’s glare. “You’re barely twelve, like I’m going to be able to give you booze. Hell like I’d be able to grab it,” Eri flipped her hair and glared at Shikaku.

Choza loved how close the three were. It often left him feeling slightly jealous for being an only child and not as close to his cousins as he could be. However, there had been a fight as to who would take over leadership of the clan between his father and his Aunt and it hadn’t ended well. Choza hoped that in a year of two the rest of the family would calm down and come back together, but right now there was a lot of internal tension.

“Sit,” Haru directed the them to a table off to the side. It kept them within the gathering but outside of the main line of sight. It would still piss off his grandfather, but he’d much rather take care of his elder brother then worry about the old codger. He stood ready to get a couple of plates of food knowing that the Akimichi was likely getting hungry. His sister beat him too it. 

Eri appeared at Choza’s shoulder with two plates of food. At Shikaku’s growl for being left out she dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Chill nii-San I’ll go and get you some food.”

“Shikaku!” His grandfather’s voice carried across the grounds.

All Shikaku could do was sigh, “fuck.” He didn’t dare look at Eri or Haru. He knew if he did the pair would start to laugh and there would be no saving his ass from his grandfather’s wrath then. 

Choza made to stand and go with him, but a subtle shake of his head had the Akimichi staying put. 

“Eri, keep Choza company will you?” Shikaku walked towards the table his grandfather was holding court at. Bowing to the table holding the three clan heads, Shikaku stood and waited for his grandfather to tell him what he wanted.

“Shikaku, I see that you have meet Choza Akimichi. He is the new clan heir. How do you feel about working with him?” The fact that his grandfather would ask in that way in front of the Akimichi clan head after the recent internal struggle they just had was rude.

“Choza is a good man and friend. I look forward to working more with him and seeing how our clan jutsu meshes.” Shikaku knew that time with Choza could only increase their comfort around each other.

“Good, I’m glad that Choza is making his clan proud.” Chouta Akimichi had been ruthless in pushing his sister out of the running for clan head. He knew that he was a better choice but further than that, he knew that his son had the constitution to take the clan much farther than his nephew ever would. His nephew was too wrapped up in lab work and was easily led by others.

“Now if we can find the right Yamanaka to work with the two of you.” Inori Yamanaka hoped that his son would be a good match. Even though Inoichi was his second child, he was the first born son and having him work with the two other clan heir could only cement his son’s own position as the next clan heir. He would whatever he could to make sure that it was his line that lead the Yamanaka’s into the future and it would be at the hands of his son. No weak willed daughter would take control. “I believe that my son Inoichi would be a good match for the two of you.”

The blonde teen stood at attention right behind. “Father,” Inoichi was just starting to grow his hair out into the customary long tail. He stood at attention like the good little solider his father was raising him to be.

“Inoichi, this is Shikaku Nara, the grandson of Shinta Nara the current head of the Nara clan. Why don’t the two of you go and see how your chakra meshes?”

Inoichi bowed ready to follow Shikaku.

Shikaku just shook his head, and lead the way back to the with Choza. Eri and Haru melted into the background without question leaving Choza alone at the table.

“So how do we want to do this, because I’m not going to allow you into my head right off the bat.” Shikaku sat and while he would have loved to lie back in the grass, there were too many eyes on them at the moment.

Choza handed over a stick of dango to Shikaku, “have a bite, and we’ll talk.”

Inoichi sat and introduced himself. “Inoichi Yamanaka.”

“Choza Akimichi,” he handed over another stick of dango and almost flinched when their hands touched. Their chakra flaring off of each other.

“So it looks like we’re compatible.” Inoichi tried to keep the arrogance from taking over. He knew who the two men were.

“How troublesome.” Shikaku laid his head on the table and let his mind spin. The amount of training that the three of them would now be required to do. “This is seriously going to cut into my cloud watching time.”

Choza laughed at Inoichi’s shock. He’d get used to Shikaku and maybe in time this would be a good team.


End file.
